Hard Lessons: Urban Survival

From the Archives, 2018

 

Hard Lessons: Urban Survival

 

“If I asked how to go become a Hunter-Gatherer, how would you respond? Even if you were one long ago, it would be difficult. We’re talking about nothing short of an utter redefinition of how you live, your identity and role in society, and entrance into a new culture. How does one “prepare” for that?”

We really need more articles like this in the prepper/survival community In my opinion. Articles that challenge the status quo of accepted knowledge and get down to the nuts and bolts of survival. No flash, no hollywood, just surviving the best you can, for as long as you can.

Read this twice and pass it on to somebody you care about.

Stay Alert, Armed and Dangerous!

Going Mobile

From the Archives, 2016

A learned a long time ago that when shit goes bad, it goes bad in a hurry. Very often you will have little to no time to think about what you really need to do, you are just going to have to react.

The seasoned prepper knows from experience that there are two basic options when the fecal matter hits the oscillator: Either you Stay Put (Shelter in place if you are using Newspeak terminology) or You Go Mobile, either on foot or by vehicle.

The system I use for going mobile is pretty basic with one of the main advantages being it keeps your gear fairly ORGANIZED so you can lay hands on it in a pinch.

Now without going too deep into the whole “First, Second and Third” Line of gear thing, Here is how I have things laid out.

Slings, Cases, Chest Rigs and Battle Belts

It goes without saying your fighting weapons are your first priority and need to stay ready to be deployed. Ensuring ALL your fighting long arms have a good sturdy sling is mandatory for Going Mobile. Regardless if you prefer 1 or 2 Point slings, just make sure they are durable and will hold up under abuse.

I also have a portable padded rifle case with backpack straps in the event I want to haul more than one long arm at a time. These are bulky and awkward when worn on the back, and I doubt I would ever use it, but it never hurts to have it as a contingency.

There are several options out there for how you stage your ammo and Maintenance and Cleaning gear for these weapons. Some people use Sneaky Bags and Bandoleers. Me, I have found using Chest Rigs and Battle Belts equipped with a holster to fit your Fighting Pistol is much more practical.

For my Pistol since most of the time it is on my person, I simply keep a couple of dual mag carriers (4 mags) stocked and ready to go. This way, irregardless of what goes down, I can either just grab the spare ammo for the pistol or if I feel the need to bring a long gun, holster my pistol in the appropriate chest rig or battle belt and toss the extra pistol mags in my rig or BOB.

For my Rifles and Shotgun I have a Chest Rig and Battle Belt for my Main Fighting Rifle, a Chest Rig and Battle Belt for my DM AR Rifle (.308) Rifle and a simple Battle Belt for my 12 Ga Shotgun. The reason for the different rigs is very simple: CALIBER. I have been asked wouldn’t it be simpler just to switch out the mag carriers and just use ONE Rig? This is a very nifty utilitarian ideal except for the glaring problem that we already mentioned: When Shit goes bad it goes bad in a hurry! You will not have time to be switching out mag carriers, and designing your rig on the fly…you will need to grab your rig and haul ass!

HAVE AMMO, WILL TRAVEL

When you need to move more ammo than what you have on your Rigs and Belts, I suggest using Military Ammo Cans. They are Cheap and Plentiful and stack nicely. The .50 Cal Cans are the  biggest and most predominant, but I also have quite a few of the smaller and narrower .30 Cal Cans, which I have found is great for storing bricks of .22LR Ammo and 12 Gauge ammo. There is also the added benefit of being able to know what ammo is in what can simply by the type of ammo can it is stored in. Just an added perk when you need to get to it in a hurry.

YOUR BOB, VBOB, MEDIC PACK and SURVIVAL PACK

Since this is not a beginners article, I am not going to go into the importance of BOB’s and VBOBS. As far as gear goes, they are pretty much the center piece of a good preparedness plan, so put some serious time, effort and money into building yours.

A Word about VBOBS. Besides the standard items, don’t forget to pack some vehicle maintenance items too; Remember, in a post-apocalyptic, SHTF world AAA is not available. Now obviously you cannot prepare for some of the more major mechanical problem that may arise, but you can prepare for some of the more common ones.

Here is a short list:

• Belts (Serpentine or Individual belts depending on your make/model)

• C Clamps

• Bailing Wire

• Fuses

• Duct Tape

• Work Gloves

• Screwdriver/Pliers (Regular and Needle Nose)/Wire Cutters

Also, regularly check that your spare is aired up and your jack and other equipment is intact. You would be surprised at how many people forget about that one. Remember: PRACTICAL, NOT TACTICAL wins the day!

As far as a MEDIC PACK, I know a lot of you keep a fully stocked Blowout Kit/Trauma pack in your BOB/VBOB’s and that is awesome, but experience has taught me it is more practical to have a separate medic pack fully stocked, ready to grab with everything from your basic “boo-boo” kit to a full trauma workup with surgical tools.

Also if you have a family, tailor your medic pack to their needs. So often folks go full tilt “Tacti-Cool” in outfitting their bags with Quick-Clot and Sucking Chest Wound Seals and forget about the more practical stuff you will be grabbing much more frequently, like Sting-EZE, Burn Balms, Anti-biotic Ointments, Benadryl, etc.,etc. Also if you have anyone in your tribe that had medical issues and takes maintenance medications (diabetes, heart conditions) these need to top the list obviously.

A SURVIVAL PACK to many people is basically a BOB with 2 to 4 weeks of supplies versus 3 days. Experience has taught me however to minimize everything but FOOD and WATER in these. The main reason being is if you have to exfil in a hurry, this is going to be the only bag with large amounts of food and water in it. Because of weight concerns, you will only be able to carry so much water, this is why it is mandatory to include a well made water filtration unit and several dozen water filter straws for everybody in your tribe. I also pack a small camp stove with some fuel and a GI Grill (County-Comm is selling a version of these right now btw.)

EVERYTHING ELSE

As far as organizing the rest of your gear, I suggest you have a bag for each category below:

• Flashlights/Lanterns

• Knives/Tools

• Range Bag/Training Kit

• Gunsmith/Maintenance

• General Field Gear

If I forgot anything, create a bag for it!

Stay Alert, Stay Armed and Stay Dangerous!

Guest Post: Does Boiling Water Purify It?

The following is a guest post from our friends over at knowpreparesurvive.com. -NCS There is no uncontaminated surface water source in the world. That may not be a technically true statement, but unless you’re drinking from a mountaintop spring right at the source, it’s a good thing to keep in mind to minimize risk. And…

via Guest Post: Does Boiling Water Purify It? — American Partisan

My dystopian dream

 Thought provoking read.

At the end of the day the question stands: What are YOU going to do about it?

 

I had a dream last night. I was standing at a gas pump hearing that damned Orwellian “telescreen”. It’s not looking back at us quite yet, but then again, all you have to do is look up, left and then right to see three cameras pointed right at you. So what is the difference? Back…

via My dystopian dream — American Partisan

Remembering Mr. S.M.O.L.E.S.

From the Archives, 2015.

Yeah I know this is Mr. Burns, but you will get the joke as you read on.

Since the general feeling around the national campfire has been one of concern and worry as of late, I thought it a relevant and necessary article to review something that is actually practical and useful, instead of prognosticating on “what could be”. I mean if we are gonna stand around and do that why don’t we just all have a “whistle dixie out of our assholes” contest too while we are at it…seriously guys, get a hold of yourselves out there and act like you gotta pair.

In times like this I am reminded of the wisdom of my late grandmother who said:

• “A Man can only piss his pants and stay warm for so long….” (Still love that one even though I have yet to find a meaningful use for it, although I guess as this is a prepping article, take it at face value!)

•  “You cannot worry about things you cannot change; only concern yourself with things YOU CAN change.”

What CAN WE CHANGE? I cannot think of a more practical thing that is within our control than reviewing first our Training status (Software) and then our Equipment Status and Selection for our Survival Pack, BOB’s, VBOB’s, etc. (Hardware).

And for those of you that have never heard of SMOLES before, I regret to inform you he is NOT a real person.

No, SMOLES is an acronym used first by the US Army Rangers and SF and now by the Survivalist community to denote the type of gear that needs to be prioritized as we pack up for when the “Excrement hits the oscillator device.”

(S) Self-Defense

None of the proceeding gear is gonna matter if you cannot protect yourself and you get dead. Always prioritize your weapons first, regardless. In the military we called it Combat Loading, and as Civilian Operator’s it would not be a bad ideal if you adopted this same mentality to EVERYTHING you do.

Remember: Guns, Mags and Ammo before Granola, Gatorade and Toilet Paper!

(M) Medical

The ability to medically care for yourself or anybody else in your tribe is paramount. This includes your basic “boo-boo” kit to your blowout bag to your fully stocked Tactical Trauma pack. If preparing for your entire family, consider each persons needs (for example, allergies, female hygiene, etc.)

(O) Observation and Optics

The ability to spot the enemy before he sees you and to shoot the enemy accurately during combat. This could range from a decent pair of bionocs and a rangefinder to a pair of NVG’s and Thermal Imaging Optics, depending on the mission and your capabilities. Remember: Mission Drives Equipment, so consider your overall optic needs.

(L) Land Navigation

The ability to navigate the terrain with confidence and not wander around the woods like Hansel and Gretel is important in any situation, but especially when the bottom falls out from society. This COULD include your ultra-high tech GPS unit that (a) runs off electricity and depends on a satellite rotating the earth to work and (b) has a manual the size of War and Peace that  you have not even read yet OR a better ideal is to learn how to read a map and compass that does not depend on anything to function. Smart, simple and effective.

(E) Extreme Weather Conditions

This one is fairly self-explanatory. Note the word EXTREME. Prepare for extreme cold or heat accordingly. Anyone who has ever had frostbite or heat stroke will most likely tell you both suck, so try to avoid them like the plague and dress accordingly. Remember, weather and the elements can kill you just as quickly as a bullet if you stay out in it long enough.

(S) Survival

This is the biggest category, which is why I guess they saved it for last. It basically includes everything else you would need to survive that is not included above.

John Mosby in his outstanding Reluctant Partisan Volumes puts it this way:

• You cannot survive 3 minutes without Oxygen

• You cannot Survive 3 Hours without Shelter

• You cannot survive 3 Days without Water

• You cannot survive 3 Weeks without Food

Stay Alert, Armed and Dangerous!